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9 Reasons Your Hair Won’t Grow

Updated on June 24, 2025 | 7 min read

Jaclyn LaBadia, Davines Writer

If your hair seems stuck at the same length no matter what you do, you're not alone. Many people wonder why their hair won't grow, even when they follow a consistent routine and use quality products. It can be frustrating to feel like you're doing everything right and still not seeing progress.

If you've been asking yourself why your hair isn’t growing, there may be a few hidden causes worth exploring. In the sections below, we’ll break down the most common reasons behind slow hair growth and offer practical tips to help you grow stronger, healthier strands.

Key Takeaways

Why Your Hair Won’t Grow (and What to Do About It)

Genetics and age impact how long your hair can grow and how fast it sheds.
Nutrient deficiencies like low iron, biotin, or vitamin D can slow growth.
Stress and hormonal imbalances disrupt the growth cycle and cause shedding.
Poor scalp health (dandruff, buildup) blocks follicles and stalls growth.
Harsh products and heat lead to dryness and breakage, limiting length.
Breakage is often mistaken for slow growth—trim regularly and hydrate.
Protect from heat with a professional-grade heat protectant and limit hot tool use.
Use sulfate-free, hydrating shampoos and conditioners to strengthen strands.
Healthy habits like scalp massage and air drying support longer, stronger hair.

Why Won’t My Hair Grow?

Quick Answer: Why Isn’t My Hair Growing?

Hair that won’t grow is often due to genetics, breakage, scalp issues, stress, or nutritional deficiencies. To support longer, stronger hair, nourish your scalp, use the right products, and avoid damage from heat, overprocessing, and harsh ingredients.

There can be several reasons that your hair isn’t growing. Hair typically grows about half an inch per month, which adds up to roughly six inches per year. But that number can vary depending on things like genetics, age, and overall hair health. Some people have a longer growth cycle, which allows their hair to reach greater lengths. Others may experience breakage or shedding that prevents visible growth. Below, we break down nine of the most common reasons behind stalled growth for anyone wondering why their hair won't grow or seems stuck at the same length.

9 Reasons Your Hair Won't Grow

1. Genetics

You might be surprised to learn that your hair doesn’t actually stop growing at a certain length, it stops growing at the end of your hair growth cycle. Your hair’s growth phase is determined by your genetics and can last anywhere between two and six years.

So once the hair reaches the end of its growth cycle, it stops growing and will either break off or shed. Genetics can also play a role in determining the concentration of your thyroid hormone, which can also affect your hair’s ability to grow.

2. Age

As we age, our hair’s growth cycle shortens. Over time, your six-year cycle slowly reduces to a two-year cycle, making your hair thinner and less likely to grow. In addition, as you age your scalp produces less oil leading to dryer hair that’s more prone to split ends and breakage.

3. Diet

If your hair isn’t growing, your diet may be lacking the nutrients needed to support it. Key vitamins and minerals for hair growth include:

Iron (found in lean meats, spinach)
Vitamin D (mushrooms, eggs, yogurt)
Zinc (red meat, nuts, beans)
B-Complex Vitamins (especially biotin)
Collagen (bone broth, leafy greens)

4. Excessive Shedding

Shedding is a natural part of the hair growth process and it happens to everyone (even the ones with the really good hair). But if your hair falls out faster than it can regrow, then shedding can be the reason you can’t get your strands past a certain point.

5. Stress

Stress is another reason your hair might not be growing. Both emotional and physical stress is linked to hair loss because it restricts the growth cycle. Finding ways to de-stress improves your mental health, as well as the health of your hair. Things like meditation, exercise, and doing a hair mask while binging Netflix are all good ways to relax and eliminate stress.

6. Scalp Health

Poor scalp health can block hair follicles, restrict growth, and lead to inflammation or buildup. Conditions like dandruff, psoriasis, or clogged follicles can stunt growth at the root. A clean, balanced scalp is essential for strong, steady hair growth. Use a gentle scalp scrub or clarifying shampoo weekly and avoid product buildup.

7. Hormonal Imbalances

Hormones directly influence your hair's growth cycle. Imbalances caused by thyroid disorders, PCOS, pregnancy, or menopause can lead to thinning or stunted growth. If you’ve noticed sudden changes in your hair along with skin or mood shifts, a healthcare provider can help pinpoint the issue.

8. Harsh Products

Washing your hair too often using shampoos with sulfates, alcohols, or silicones can strip natural oils and weaken the cuticle. This leads to dryness, breakage, and slower growth over time. Try washing less frequently and switch to nourishing, sulfate-free products like Davines’ hair growth-supporting formulas.

9. Hair Breakage

Breakage is one of the most common causes behind it seeming like your hair is not growing. If your hair is breaking off just as fast as it grows, then it’s impossible to gain length. Lots of common habits can be contributing to your hair breakage. Let’s take a look below.

What causes hair breakage?

Overprocessing (bleach, relaxers, frequent coloring) damages the cuticle and leads to brittle, breakage-prone hair.
Heat styling dehydrates strands and weakens structure, especially when done without a heat protectant.
Aggressive styling (tight ponytails, rough brushing, cheap elastics) causes tension and breakage at the root and midshaft.
Split ends travel upward if left untrimmed, sabotaging length from the bottom up.
Poor haircare products with sulfates or drying alcohols can strip moisture and compromise hair health.

How to Support Hair Growth

Ready to see real progress? These easy, proven tips will help you create the ideal conditions for healthy hair growth. Whether you're trying to get past a stubborn length plateau or simply want longer, stronger strands, the following hacks will support growth from root to tip and help you maintain every inch along the way.

Detangle Your Hair Before Washing It

Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle your hair completely before showering. Start at your ends while gently and slowly working your way up.

Wash Your Hair With Cool Water

Hot water dehydrates your hair causing brittle, broken strands. Keep the heat to lukewarm and wash gently with a sulfate-free shampoo like Davines’ Energizing Shampoo for thin hair to stimulate hair growth. Follow up with a conditioner and finish with a blast of cold water to seal your hair cuticles, and make your hair shiny and smooth.

Keep Your Hair Hydrated

Every time you shampoo your hair, you must condition it. Our vegan conditioner for damaged hair deeply moisturizes damaged strands and reinforces the structure of your hair. Focus on the mid-shaft and ends of your hair and let the conditioner sit for a few minutes.

Massage Your Scalp

Products, sweat, and oil build up on your scalp and hair follicles over time. This impedes your hair’s growth and your chances of gaining length. Destress and stimulate your hair follicles for new hair growth at the same time by using an exfoliating wet brush to gently massage your scalp while your conditioner works.

Air Dry Your Hair

Towel drying your hair with the wrong material roughs up the cuticle and leads to frizzy hair. It can also result in hair breakage due to the weight of the towel. Instead, wring excess water out of your hair with a microfiber hair towel. Then pat your hair dry and let it air dry, if you can.

Use Heat Protectant

When heat styling can’t be avoided, always use heat protectant. Think of using heat protectant before using hot tools, the same way you would use sunscreen before going in the sun.

A heat protecting hair product coats the strands, forming a barrier between your hair and the stress of the heat; just be sure to use the right temperature when heat styling your hair. Finer or thinning hair is more susceptible to damage, so try to use a lower temperature when using heat.

Try a Professional-Grade Hair Treatment

The Davines Energizing line was designed to fight and protect against hair loss and hair thinning. All the products in the line stimulate hair growth while reinforcing weak hair to prevent future breakage. Apply the treatment gel for thinning hair directly to the scalp after washing and conditioning your hair. Do not rinse out.

Final Thoughts on How to Make Hair Grow

If you've made it to the end of this article, you already know that growing longer, healthier hair can be a real challenge. Whether you're dealing with thinning, hair loss, breakage, or you’re simply stuck at the same length, you're not alone, and you're not out of options.

With the right habits, consistent care, and targeted products, you can support your hair's natural growth and finally move past that frustrating plateau. The Davines line is designed to help you do just that. Our formulas are crafted with natural ingredients and backed by science, all while supporting sustainability through renewable energy and eco-friendly packaging.

If you’ve been wondering why your hair won’t grow or why it keeps breaking before it gets long, now is the time to take action. A few simple changes to your routine can make all the difference. Stick with it, treat your hair gently, and trust the process. Your longer, stronger, healthier hair is closer than you think.

Treat Yourself

Visit your local Davines salon and get a personalized strengthening treatment for your haircare needs.

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1 Comment

1 Response

Maija

January 15, 2024

Thanks for the help! My hair has stopped growing at upper/mid back. I’ll try some of these techniques. Thanks!

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